Volkswagen may face criminal and civil penalties over emissions scandal

The Department of Justice has found Volkswagen liable for criminal wrongdoing, CNBC first reported.

Volkswagen is expected to face criminal and civil penalties for violating the Clean Air Act by installing software on vehicles that violates environmental standards meant to reduce smog, but prosectuors have yet to decide the specific criminal charges they might bring against the automaker.

Volkswagen installed the software on almost 500,000 diesel vehicles in the U.S., according to an EPA press release from September.